Why my characters aren't shooting as many people 😱(Updated)

Here's a spoiler alert 🚨- if you haven't already read my books, you should know that there's usually a body count. 😲I'm attempting to get away from having my characters using guns, but does that mean my books are becoming less violent, and why am I making these changes?

First of all, I'm tired of guns. Between mass shootings, the vast amount of television shows using them (more shows than not, I'm guessing), and of course video games, I thought maybe we could use a bit of a break from guns.

Does that mean my books are less violent? No. I'm trying to find more creative ways for my characters to either get revenge, attack or hurt their adversaries without using a revolver. This isn't to say the gang in my series has tossed their guns aside, quite the contrary. I feel that they're used so often in movies, television, and books that perhaps it's time to find more interesting methods rather than relying on the easiest, most thoughtless, and overused options in fiction.

In many ways, we're desensitized by guns. When a character pulls out a gun in your favorite piece of fiction or Netflix show, we hardly blink an eye because it's the norm. Sadly, it doesn't pack the same punch as it should, and in turn, this doesn't keep readers or viewers on high alert. You know what keeps viewers on high alert? A machete. An ax. A chainsaw. One must be creative.

I also believe there is a certain amount of passion when a character attacks his or her victims with a more barbaric weapon. In reality, guns are somewhat lazy, when you think about it.

If you're one of my readers, don't expect things to calm down and you won't suddenly find my books in a Christian book store but you might find a few other surprises. 😏